Different Forms of Rh Antibodies

Abstract

IN recent years a number of reports have been published on the occurrence of Rh antibodies other than the saline agglutinins and the incomplete or blocking antibodies (the ‘bivalent’ or ‘univalent’ antibodies in Wiener's terminology). Wiener himself now subdivides the univalent antibodies into glutinins and blocking antibodies; both are detectable by the serum–albumin conglutination technique. Witebsky and Mohn have reported the finding of a second type of blocking antibody, which blocks glutinins but not agglutinins. In addition, these workers have confirmed the occurrence of still another type of antibody which was originally described by Hill and Haberman and was called the cryptagglutinoid. This has neither agglutinating nor blocking properties, but can be adsorbed on to Rh-positive cells and is detectable by the indirect Coombs technique. The five different Rh antibodies or phases of antibody activity and the tests by which the various workers claim they are detected are set out in Table 1.